grievous distress, affliction, or trouble: His woe was almost beyond description.
2.
an affliction: She suffered a fall, among her other woes.
interjection
3.
an exclamation of grief, distress, or lamentation.
Origin: before 900;Middle Englishwo (interjection and noun), Old Englishwā (interjection) (cf. wellaway); cognate with Dutchwee,GermanWeh,Old Norsevei,Latinvae
Synonyms 1. anguish, tribulation, trial, wretchedness, melancholy. See sorrow.
O.E. wa, a common exclamation of lament in many languages (cf. L. væ, Gk. oa, Ger. weh, Lettish wai, O.Ir. fe, Welsh gwae, Armenian vay). The noun is attested from c.1175, from the interjection.